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Women 4 x 100 metres heats

With only two heats
scheduled in the women’s 4x100m relay there will be two automatic qualifiers in
each heat. The fourth fastest losers will also advance to tomorrow’s final.

heat 1

Running in lane four,
Sherone Simpson of Jamaica was the fastest out of the blocks and transmitted the
relay baton in first position slightly ahead of Great Britain and France. A
fantastic second leg of Nadine Palmer and Jamaica was already five metres clear
of the other teams. It was by then an easy job for Kerron Stewart (4th
in the 100m final) and 100m silver medallist Simone Facey to get the baton to
the tape. Jamaica was timed in 43.85, the fastest time of both heats.

Running in lane 6, Great
Britain’s team included 200m gold medallist Vernicha James (anchor) and 200m
finalist Amy Spencer (third leg). The British girls secured the second
qualifying spot but trailed 10 metres behind the Jamaicans.

France (45.24), Finland
(45.63) and South Africa (46.03) also advanced to the final as the fastest
losers.

Williams had an explosive
start and her first bend seemed like something special. She had a perfect
exchange with Felix whose back straight was clearly the fastest of the lot.
Hooker’s final bend was enough for Solomon to have an easy life back to the
tape, which she crossed in 43.92.

Germany who had always
been trailing in second had a terrible last exchange and almost lost the second
qualifying spot. But Frei of Switzerland was evidently slower than Halm of
Germany. The German team automatically advanced to the final with 43.92 while
Switzerland clocked 45.96. The Swiss team also advances to the final as one of
the four fastest qualifiers.

A strong Canadian team
dropped the baton at the second exchange and was therefore disqualified. Saint
Kitts and Nevis finishing fourth and Senegal in fifth clocked new national
records of 46.14 and 47.55 respectively.